Zechariah 4

“And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.  And he said unto me, ‘What seest thou?’  And I said, ‘I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.’  So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, ‘What are these, my lord?’  Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, ‘Knowest thou not what these be?’  And I said, ‘No, my lord.’  Then he answered and spake unto me saying, ‘This is the word of the LORD (YHVH) unto Zerubbabel, saying, NOT BY MIGHT, NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS.’………

Then answered I and said unto him, ‘What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?’  And I answered again, and said unto him, ‘What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?’  And he answered me and said, ‘Knowest thou not what these be?’  And I said, ‘No, my lord.’  Then said he, ‘These are the TWO ANOINTED ONES, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

I was going to write this time on the Priesthood and Kingship of Yeshua according to the order of Melchizedek when I happened across this passage of Scripture in Zechariah.  This time, it took my breath away as I read it for I had read it many times before and even had parts of it marked in my Bible for reference.   This vision of Zechariah’s spoke so clearly of Yeshua’s priesthood and kingship roles that are in existence today through the house of Judah and the house of Israel.  I saw, as I have been seeing in bits and pieces for several years now, the end time picture of the Kingdom of YHVH.  I saw how God’s people have separated themselves from each other more clearly as the Spirit of YHVH opened up my understanding of this prophetic vision.

Clearly, Zechariah could not have understood this vision in his day, and I’m sure many of his contemporaries thought he was crazy and dismissed this vision as “nothing” because they too, could not understand the meaning.  It held a mystery for the end days time which we are in now.  Sometimes people have dreams or visions or prophecy that sounds “off the wall”.  What are we to do with them?  Cast them aside along with the individual just because it doesn’t sound right or pronounce an analytical judgment on it because it is not understood by anyone at the time?  I recall that when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was going to give birth to the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, her ultimate reaction to this was Luke 2:19, “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.”  Though she did not comprehend the fullness of this birth, she knew it was from YHVH and did not wince at the persecution which I’m sure came against her as this pregnancy progressed. 

In this scripture we can picture a menorah (seven branched candlestick).  In the picture we see a bowl on the top at the center of the seven branched candle stick.  This bowl is receiving “anointed oil” from two other bowls just above it.  And these bowls are receiving “anointed oil” from the two olive trees; one on each side of the seven branched candlestick.  The center bowl is supplying the candlestick with this “anointed oil”.  Zechariah asks the obvious question, what are these two olive trees?  Then the angel answered him and said that these were the “two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth”.

So the question is, “Who are the two anointed ones represented here?  And what is this golden anointed oil that is being poured out?”

In Romans 11 Shaul talks about these two olive branches.  One he calls a natural olive branch and the other he calls a wild branch.   Both branches are broken off from the root of the natural olive tree.  He is telling us that the “natural” olive branch represents Judah (understood today as Jewish people living in Israel or natural born citizens of that country).  The “wild” branch that he refers to is represented by the Church; those comprised of the lost ten northern tribes of Israel that were dispersed throughout the world and joined with the gentile nations.  Basically he was telling the gentiles that both the Jewish people and the gentile church (those who became believers in Yeshua through a spiritual re-birthing) needed to be grafted back into the root of the original olive tree because they had both walked away from following the commandments of YHVH.  When this process takes place, in its fullness of time, he says, “And so all Israel will be saved…..”Rom 11:28 meaning both the gentile church and the Jewish nation.

Now we can see that the olive branches on either side of the candlestick are represented by the Jewish people (Judah - natural branch) and the Gentile Church (House of Israel - wild branch).  Zechariah says that these two are “anointed ones”. 

Ezekiel 37:15-22 The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, “Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, ‘For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions’; then take another stick, and write upon it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:’  And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.  And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, “Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?”  Say unto them, “Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand”.  And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.  And say unto them, “Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land;  And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all:  and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.”

Now we can see the picture of the two branches in a different light.  First, there is Judah, the children of Israel his companions as the natural branches.  Then Joseph, the stick in the hand of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions as the wild branches.  In Zechariah’s vision, both branches are pouring out “anointed oil”.  Oil represents the Holy Spirit (the Ruach HaKodesh).  So what he is seeing is both Jews and Gentiles (Judah and the Church) being anointed and pouring out the Spirit of God upon all flesh.  Both Shaul and Ezekiel are showing us that (at the appointed time) both will come together as one in His hand. 

I believe that when this takes place, there will be the greatest revival man has ever witnessed.  But it will come at a very great cost.  Joel 2:28-32 says,  “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.  And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.  And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fires and pillars of smoke.  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.  And it shall come to pass that WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.  For in  Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverence, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.”

Church and all believers in Yeshua our King and Priest, the tribulation is about to start, but do not fear for our redemption draws near and YHVH will see us through the tribulation time.  He will not leave us or abandon us, but will see us through every test and trial prior to that great eventful day of the Messiah’s coming to set up His Kingdom to rule and reign over His people.

“And when this comes to pass–surely it will come–then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”  Ezekiel 33:33

Over 50 years ago, in 1954, a man by the name of A A Allen received a vision of the future of America.  Some of it was not understandable to the ears of those who heard it because technology had not advanced to the point it is today.  Seeing what we are seeing and hearing what we are hearing today seems to line up with this vision that A A Allen was given.  Although it is not complete, the writing is on the wall.

THE VISION

As I stood atop the Empire State Building, I could see the Statue of Liberty, illuminating the gateway to the new world.  Here, spread before me like an animated map, is an area 60 or 80 miles in diameter.  I was amazed that the Spirit of the Lord should so move me, there atop the Empire State building.  Why should I feel such a surge of His Spirit and power there?

Suddenly I heard the voice of the Lord.  It was as clear and as distinct as a voice could be.  It seemed to come from the very midst of the giant telescope; but when I looked at the telescope, I knew it hadn’t come from there, but directly from Heaven.  The voice said, II Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.  Herin thou has done foolishly; therefore, from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”  Immediately when I heard the voice of God, I knew this was a quotation of scripture; but never before had a thing come to me so forcibly by the power of the Spirit.

The ticking of the telescope stopped.  The man before me had used up his dime’s worth.  As he stepped away, I knew I was next.  As I stepped to the telescope and dropped in my dime, immediately the ticking started again.  This ticking was an automatic clock which would allow me to use the telescope for a limited time only.  As I swung the telescope to the north, suddenly the Spirit of God came upon me in a way I had never thought of before.  Seemingly, in the Spirit I was entirely caught away.  I knew that the telescope itself had nothing to do with the distance which I was suddenly enabled to see, for I seemed to see things far beyond the range of the telescope, even on a bright, clear day.  It was simply that God had chosen this time to reveal these things to me, for as I looked through the telescope, it was not Manhattan Island that saw, but a far larger view.

NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT

That morning much of the view was impaired by fog; but suddenly as the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, the fog seemed to clear until it seemed that I could see for thousands of miles, but that which I was looking upon was not Manhattan Island.  It was all of the North American continent spread out before me as a map is spread upon a table.  It was not the East River and the Hudson River that I saw on either side, but the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans; and instead of the Statue of Liberty standing there in the bay on her small island, I saw her standing far out in the Gulf of Mexico.  She was between me and the United States.

I suddenly realized that the telescope had nothing to do with what I was seeing, but that it was a vision coming directly from God; and to prove this to myself, I took my eyes away from the telescope so that I was no longer looking through the lens, but the same scene remained before me.

GREAT CITIES AND A GIGANTIC HAND

There, clear and distinct, lay all the North American continent with all its great cities.  To the north lay the Great Lakes.  Far to the northeast was New York City.  I could see Seattle and Portland far to the northwest.  Down the west coast there were San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Closer in the foreground lay New Orleans at the center of the Gulf Coast area.  I could see the great towering ranges of the Rocky Mountains and trace with my eye the Continental Divide.  All this and more I could see spread out before me as a great map upon a table.

As I looked, suddenly from the sky I saw a giant hand reach down.  That gigantic hand was reaching out toward the Statue of Liberty.  In a moment her gleaming torch was torn from her hand, and in it instead was placed a cup; and I saw protruding from that great cup a giant sword, shining as if a great light had been turned upon its glistening edge.  Never before had I seen such a sharp, glistening, dangerous sword.  It seemed to threaten all the world.  As the great cup was placed in the hand of the Statue of Liberty, I heard these words, “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, drink ye and be drunken and spew and fall and rise no more because of the sword which I will send.”  As I heard these words, I recognized them as a quotation from Jeremiah 25:27.

I was amazed to hear the Statue of Liberty speak out in reply, “I WILL NOT DRINK!”

Then as the voice of the thunder, I heard again the voice of the Lord saying, “Ye shall certainly drink” (Jeremiah 25:28).  Then suddenly the giant hand forced the cup to the lips of the Statue of Liberty, and she became powerless to defend herself.  The mighty hand of God forced her to drink every drop from the cup.  As she drank the bitter dregs, these were the words that I heard: “Should ye be utterly  punished? Ye shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of hosts” (Jeremiah 27:29).

WAR, DESTRUCTION & WIDOWHOOD COMES TO THE QUEEN

When the cup was withdrawn from the lips of the Statue of Liberty, I noticed the sword was missing from the cup, which could mean but one thing.  THE CONTENTS OF THE CUP HAD BEEN COMPLETELY CONSUMED!   I knew that the sword merely typified war, death, and destruction, which is no doubt on the way.

Then as one drunken on too much wine, I saw the Statue of Liberty become unsteady on her feet and begin to stagger and to lose her balance.  I saw her splashing in the gulf, trying to regain her balance.  I saw her stagger again and again and fall to her knees.  As I saw her desparate attemps to regain her balance and rise to her feet again, my heart was moved as never before with compassion for her struggles; but as she staggered there in the gulf, once again I heard these words: “Drink ye and be drunken and spew and fall and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among you” (Jeremiah 25:37).

As I watched, I wondered if the Statue of Liberty would ever be able to regain her feet, if she would ever stand again; and as I watched, it seemed that with all her power she struggled to rise and finally staggered to her feet again and stood there swaying drunkenly.  I felt sure that at any moment she would fall again, possibly never to rise.  I seemed overwhelmed with a desire to reach out my hand to keep her head above water, for I knew that if she ever fell again, she would drown there in the gulf.

BLACK CLOUD RISING

Then as I watched, another amazing thing was taking place.  Far to the northwest, just over Alaska, a huge, black cloud was arising.  As it rose, it was as black as night.  It seemed to be in the shape of a man’s head.  As it continued to arise, I observed two light spots in the black cloud.  It rose further, and a gaping hole appeared.  I could see that the black cloud was taking the shape of a skull, for now the huge, white, gaping mouth was plainly visible.  Finally the head was complete.  Then the shoulders began to appear; and on either side, long, black arms.

SKELETON DESTROYS MULTITUDES

It seemed that what I saw was the entire North American continent, spread out like a map upon a table with this terrible skeleton-formed cloud arising from behind the table.  It rose steadily until the form was visible down to the waist.  At the waist the skeleton seemed to bend toward the United States, streching forth a hand toward the east and one toward the west–one toward New York and one toward Seattle.  As the aweful form stretched forward, I could see that its entire attention seemed to be focused upon the United States, overlooking Canada at least for the time being.  As I saw the horrible black cloud in the form of a skeleton bending toward America, bending from the waist over, reaching down toward Chicago and out toward both coasts, I knew its one interest was to DESTROY THE MULTITUDES.

MORTAL AGONY

As I watched in horror, the great black cloud stopped just above the Great Lakes region and turned its face toward New York City.  Then out of the horrible, great gaping mouth began to appear wisps of white vapor which looked like smoke, as a cigarette smoker would blow puffs of smoke from his mouth.  These whitish vapors were being blown toward New York City.  The smoke began to spread until it had covered all the eastern part of the United States.

Then the skeleton turned to the west and out of the horrible mouth and nostrils came another great puff of white smoke.  This time it was blown in the direction of the west coast.  In a few moments time the entire west coast and Los Angeles area were covered with its vapors.  Then towards the center came a third great puff.  As I watched, St. Louis and Kansas City were enveloped in its white vapors.  Then on they came toward New Orleans.  Then on they swept until they reached the Statue of Liberty where she stood staggering drunkenly in the blue waters of the gulf.  As the white vapors began to spread around the head of the statue, she took in but one gasping breath and then began to cough as thoug to rid her lungs of the horrible vapors she had inhaled.  One could readily discern by the coughing that those white vapors had seared her lungs.

What were these white vapors?  Could they signify bacteriological warfare or nerve gas that could destroy multitudes of people in a few moments time?

Then I heard the voice of God as He spoke again: “Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty and maketh it waste and turneth it upside-down and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.  And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.  The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled, for the Lord hath spoken this word.  The earth mourneth and fadeth away.  The world languisheth and fadeth away.  The haughty people of the earth do languish.  The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof because they have transgreesed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant; therefore, hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate; therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men left” (Isaiah 24:1-6).

As I watched, the coughing grew worse.  It sounded like a person about to cough out his lungs.  The Statue of Liberty was moaning and groaning.  She was in mortal agony.  The pain must have been terrific, as again and again she tried to clear her lungs of those horrible white vapors.  I watched her there in the gulf as she staggered, clutching her lungs and her breast with her hands.  Then she fell to her knees.  In a moment she gave one final cough, made a last desparate effort to rise from her knees, and then fell face forward into the waters of the gulf and lay as still as death.  Tears ran down my face as I realized that she was dead!  Only the lapping of the waves, splashing over her body which was partly under the water and partly out of the water, broke the stillness.

“A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame burneth; the land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness, yea, and nothing shall escape them” (Joel 2:3)

SCREAMING SIRENS

Suddenly the silence was shattered by the screaming of sirens.  The sirens seemed to scream, “RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!”

Never before had I heard such shrill, screaming sirens.  They seemed to be everywhere–to the north, the south, the east and the west.  There seemed to be multitudes of sirens; and as I looked, I saw people everywhere running, but it seemed none of them ran more than a few paces, and then they fell.  And even as I had seen the Statue of Liberty struggling to regain her poise and balance and finally falling for the last time to die on her face, I now saw millions of people falling in the streets, on the sidewalks, struggling.  I heard their screams for mercy and help.  I heard their horrible coughing as though their lungs had been seared with fire.  I heard the moanings and groanings of the doomed and the dying.  As I watched, a few finally reached shelters, but only a few ever got to the shelters.

Above the moaning and the groaning of the dying multitudes, I heard these words, “A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations.  He will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord.  Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth, and the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth.  They shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground” (Jeremiah 25:31-33).

ROCKET MISSILE ATTACKS

Then suddenly I saw from the Atlantic and from the Pacific and out of the Gulf rocket-like objects that seemed to come up like fish leaping out of the water.  High into the air they leaped, each headed in a different direction, but every one toward the United tates.  On the ground the sirens screamed louder, and up from the ground I saw similar rockets beginning to ascend.  To me these appeared to be interceptor rockets although they arose from different points all over the United States; however, none of them seemed to be successful in intercepting the rockets tht had risen from the ocean on every side.  These rockets finally reached their maximum height, slowly turned over and fell back toward the earth in defeat.

Then suddenly the rockets which had leaped out of the oceans like fish all exploded at once.  The explosion was ear-splitting.  The next thing which I saw was a huge ball of fire.  The only thing I have ever seen which resembled the thing I saw in my vision was the pivture of the explosion of the H-bomb somewhere in the South Pacific.  In my vision it was so real that I seemed to feel a searing heat from it.

WIDESPREAD DESOLATION

As the vision spread before my eyes and I viwed the widespread desolation brought about by the terrific explosions, I could not help thinking, “While the defenders of our nation have quibbled over what means of defense ti use and neglected the only means of defense–faith and the dependence upon the true and living God–the thing which she greatly feared has come on her!”  How true it has proven in Psalms 127:1, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”

Then as the noise of battle subsided, to my ears came this quotation: “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the Day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.  A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains, a great people and a strong, there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.  A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame burneth; the land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness, yea, and nothing shall escape them.  The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.  Like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.  Before their face the people dhall be much pained; all faces shall gather blackness.  They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war, and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks.  Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk everyone in his path; and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.  They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall; they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.  The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble; the sun and moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining (Joel 2:1-10.

Then the voice was still.  The earth, too, was silent with the silence of death.

THE SOUND OF DISTANT SINGING

Then to my ears came another sound–a sound of distant singing.  It was the sweetest music I have ever heard.  There was joyful shouting and sounds of happy laughter.  Immediately I knew it was the rejoicing of the saints of God.  I looked, and there, high in the heavens, above the smoke and poisonous gases, above the noise of the battle, I saw a huge mountain.  It seemed to be of solid rock, and I knew at once that it was the Mountain of the Lord.  The sounds of music and rejoicing were coming from a cleft high up in the side of the rock mountain.

It was the saints of God who were doing the rejoicing.  It was God’s own people who were singing and dancing and shouting with joy, safe from all the harm which had come upon the earth, for they were hidden away in the cleft of the rock.  There in the cleft they were shut in, protected by a great, giant hand which reached out of the heavens and which was none other than the hand of God, shutting them in until the storm be overpassed.

Even though the Babylonian and Roman calendar systems were in place during the time of Yeshua’s birth and ministry, the method of determining the Feasts of the Lord remained with the Hebrew people as given to them by Moses and outlined in the Torah.  Remember in a previous article (God’s Original Calendar), we learned that the beginning of each annual cycle was determined by the “aviv” barley at the correct stage of ripeness, after which the siting of the first sliver of the new moon declared the first day of the new month.  Another system of understanding the signs of the time for the ancients was the astronomical picture seen in the stars (heavens).

Rev. 12:1-2 says, “Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.  Then being with child, she cried out in labor and pain to give birth.”  The Chaldean astronomers watched the heavens for over 400 years because of their belief that the Messiah would come when this sign appeared.  On Tishri 1, 3998 (September 11, 3 BCE - Julian calendar) there appeared in the heavens the constellation Bethula, the virgin with the crown of twelve stars clothed with the sun.

Matthew 2:1-2 says, “Now after Jesus (Yeshua) was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’”

As was the custom of the day, when the first sliver of the new moon was sited at sunset and witnessed by 2 men and confirmed with the appearance of 3 stars, the report was taken to the High Priest (Cohen HaGadol).  The command was then given to sound the silver trumpets to announce this day (Tishri 1) as the High Sabbath day of Yom Teruah.  Although the wise men from the east did not actually hear the sound of the trumpets on Yom Teruah, they saw the “star” and knew that its position in the heavenlies was the prophesied sign they had been waiting for.  The Messiah would be (future tense) delivered (born) 15 days later on Tirsri 15, 3998 (seventh month on the 15th day).  Broken down to our modern day Julian/Gregorian calendar, the date would have been September 26, 3 BCE.

John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh and Tabernacled (”sukkah”, dwelt) among us…”  The blowing of the silver trumpets on Tishri 1 announced this first of the three intermediate fulfillments of the Feast of Tabernacles.

The second intermediate fulfillment of the “Blowing of the Trumpets” will begin in the future on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) in the 7th millennium (on Tishri 10).  This time will announce the “Confirmation of the Covenant” for one shevua (seven years) (Daniel 9:27).  This announcement will be the pouring out of His Spirit on all flesh (the latter rain) according to Hosea 6:1-3, “Come and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.  After two days He will revive us; on the third day, He will raise us up that we may live in His sight.  Let us know.  Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.  His going forth is established as the morning.  He will come to us like the rain; like the latter rain and former rain to the earth.”, according to Joel 2:23 and also Zechariah 12:10.

Rev. 12:5 says, “….And she brought forth the man child who was (is to - future) to rule all nations with a rod of iron….”  The final intermediate fulfillment of the “Blowing of the Trumpets” on Tishri 1 will announce His second coming.  But when will that be?

If we try to go according to our modern day Gregorian calendar system, we can probably come pretty close, or can we?  All the previous “modern day prophets” who have predicted pre-determined dates according to this system of calculation, have not been correct.  That being the case, I guess our Gregorian calendar system has some faulty errors in it; something like the error messages we get on our computers when an internal problem exists and won’t let us go any further.  So when is His second coming?

Let’s look at II Thes. 5:1-6, “But concerning the times and seasons (moedim), brethren, you have no need that I (Shual) should write you.  For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.  For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’, then sudden destruction comes upon them……Therefore, let us not sleep as others, but let us watch and be sober.’”  (Is there any date mentioned here?)  How about Matthew 24:44, “Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.”  And what about Luke 21:7-28?  Here we read about various signs that will take place prior to His coming.  He ends it by saying in verse 28, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Nowhere in the quoted passages do I see a day or time given.  What I do see and what we should all be focusing on is what is happening right now in our very midst.  The escalation of global economic woes, pestilences in various places, plagues, starvation, the loss of freedom, persecutions, wars, rumors of wars, etc. are just some of the signs that are mentioned.  If we are to look for them, then that must mean we are going to experience (or be in the midst of) all of them.  How would we know about these things if we couldn’t see them happening?

Yes, friends, we are even going to have a time of what feels like “Peace and safety” brought to us by a very charismatic leader who will bring a “pseudo” order to things.  But watch out - “Then comes sudden destruction!”  Are you ready?  Have you asked Yeshua to be your Lord and Savior?  The time is coming when it will be too late!

“When his (Zachariah’s) period of Temple service was over, he returned home.  Following this, Elsiheva his wife conceived, and she remained five months in seclusion, saying, ‘Adonai has done this for me; he has shown me favor at this time, so as to remove my public disgrace.’”

“In the sixth month, the angel Gavriel was sent by God to a city in the Galil called Natzeret, to a virgin engaged to a man named Yoseph, of the house of David; the virgin’s name was Miryam.  Approaching her, the angel said, ‘Shalom, favored lady!  Adonai is with you!’  She was deeply troubled by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  The angel said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid, Miryam, for you have found favor with God.  Look, you will become pregnant, you will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua.  He will be great, he will be called Son of HaElyon (the Highest).  Adonai, God, will give him the throne of his forefather David; and he will rule the House of Yakov (Jacob) forever — there will be no end to His Kingdom.’  ‘How can this be,’ asked Miryam of the angel, ’since I am a virgin?’  The angel answered her, ‘The Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) will come over you, the power of HaElyon (the Most High) will cover you.  Therefore, the holy child born to you will be called the Son of God.’”

You have a relative, Elisheva, who is an old women; and everyone says she is barren.  But she has conceived a son and is six months pregnant!  For with God, nothing is impossible.  Miryam said, ‘I am the servant of Adonai; may it happen to me as you have said.”  (Luke 1:23-38 - JNT)

From there we go on to read and find out that when Miryam came to visit Elisheva, who was then six months pregnant, Elisheva’s baby leaped in her womb for the first time and she was filled with the Ruach HaKodesh.  Before Miryam even spoke to Elisheva of her own pregnancy, Elisheva spoke the blessing to her. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (v42). 

Getting back to our time line, we see that Zachariah came home after he had finished his Temple duties after the eighth course was completed (or the 2nd Sabbath after Pentecost).  Today we would understand it to be the end of the month of June according to our Gregorian calendar system.  Elizabeth conceived in July (or in the fourth month, after the month of Aviv), of God’s annual cycle.  This month on the Hebrew calendar is called Tammuz.  Mary (Miryam) came to visit her when Elsiheva was just beginning her six month of pregnancy.  That would have been the beginning of the tenth month of the Biblical calendar.  In our modern day Gregorian calendar, it would have been in the month of December (sometime during the “Feast of Lights” celebration).

So, if Elisheva was  six months pregnant in December, then she would have at least 3 more months before her son would be born.  A woman has a 280 gestation period.  Given that, Yochanan (John) the Baptist would have been born around Passover (or the month of Aviv) at the beginning of God’s next annual cycle.  Miryam, was given the divine message by Gavriel just before she visited Elisheva during the tenth month of God’s annual cycle (or December according to our Gregorian system).  This was the month of her conception by the Holy Spirit.

Counting forward, we can now see that she would have been in her third month of pregnancy when Yochanan was born during the month of Aviv (or the new cycle in God’s calendar).  Six new moons later  would have been the beginning of the 7th month of God’s calendar.  This would correspond to our Gregorian month of September in the year 3 BCE.  So, the birth of Yeshua took place during “The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)” in the year 3 BCE.  How do we know it was during this Feast?  (Read Matt 2:1, Luke 2:1-7)  Yoseph (Joseph) and Miryam were required to register in Bethlehem (Beit Lechem- means House of Bread).  They made their journey to coincide with Yoseph’s responsibility to go up to the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles).  As was required, Yoseph built a sukkah (tent/booth) in which to stay during the Feast.  From Beit Lechem, Joseph could easily see the Temple across the valley and could participate in the festivities as the opportunity availed itself.  Miryam was exempt from living in the sukkah, but since there was no other accommodations, she joined her husband in the the sukkah where she bore her firstborn son and laid him there (Lev. 23:39-43; Mishna Tractate Sukkah 22; Luke 2:7).

This was the first of three intermediate fulfillments of the Feast of Tabernacles (John 1:14; Matt 1:23; Zech 14:16-19; Rev 21:1-4).  As the sun was created in the fourth day, the Messiah — the Son of Righteousness — was expected to arrive on the 4th day (4th millennium) with healing in His wings (tzitzit, on the hem of his garment) (Malachi 4:2; Matt 9:20-22; Gen 1:16-19; Num 15:38-41; Midrash Exodus Rabbah vol 1.31.10 p. 389).  The B’rit Milah  (circumcison) was performed on a High Sabbath, the Last Great Day of the Feast (John 7:22,23).  Yoseph called his name Yashua (Yah saves) as he was instructed by the Angel Gavriel.  Yashua of Natzeret, the son of Miryam, was born in a sukkah in Beit Lechem (Bethlehem) where the Temple service Passover lambs were raised.

There is enough here to digest for now.  We will continue on with an explanation of the three intermediate fulfillments of the Feast of Tabernacles as this will help us to understand how the length of Yeshua’s ministry lines up with Daniel’s 70 Weeks Prophecy and the fulfillment of the end of days which are upon us even now.

In order to determine the Creator’s Biblical Timeline of Yeshua’s Ministry here on earth, we need to understand when He was born and when He died.  We (as western Gentile Christians) have been brought up with the understanding that His ministry was approximately three and one-half years.  Examining the evidence and adjusting the chronological order will bring us into a new revelation of this time frame.  Until we understood how YHVH reckons time, we could not thoroughly understand the correct time of Yeshua’s birth, death and resurrection nor his length of actual ministry.  Based on this evidence we will start our journey by taking a look at John (the Baptist) or in Hebrew known as Yochanan ben Zachariah.

First, let’s see who ruled during this time frame.

     40 - 37 B.C.E. - Judea placed under Herod (the Great) by order of Roman Senate.  Herod ”consolidates” power and marries Hasmonean princess, Mariamne.

     37 - 4 B.C.E. - Reign of Herod the Great as ethnarch of the Jews.

     (about) 23 B.C.E. - Work began on Herod’s Temple (destroyed in 70 C.E.)

     4 B.C. E. - Herod (the Great) dies; kingdom is split among sons (Luke 3:1-2); [4 B.C.E - 6 C.E - Archelaus over Judea proper; 4 B.C.E. - 34 C.E. - Philip over Iturea, the Golan, and Trachonitis; 4 B.C.E - 39 C.E. - Herod Antipas over Galilee and Perea.]

“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judah, a certain priest named Zachariah, of the division of Abijah [I Chron. 24:10] (Hebrew - Aviyah).  His wife was of the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth (Elisheva).  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  But they had no children, because Elisheva was barren and they were both well advanced in years.  So it was that while he (Zachariah) was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood (I Chron. 24:7-18), his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord.”  (Luke 1:5-9) 

The order of the Temple service started on the first Sabbath following Aviv 1, the beginning of the sacred year.  There were a total of 24 courses of service during the yearly cycle.  The eighth course was called “Aviyah” according to I Chron 24:10.  Each of the 24 courses served one week, twice a year.  In addition, all priests served at the three required feasts of Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost), and Sukkot (Tabernacles). (Mishna Vol 2 order moed, tractate Rosh HaShana).  This meant that Zachariah would serve as priest during the second week of Passover, the week of Shavuot (Pentecost) and the week following Shavuot.  According to Luke 1:9 “his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord”.  The casting of lots gave Zachariah the honor of burning incense in the Holy Place on the high day of Shavuot.  The multitude was present on the Temple Mount; awaiting his Aaronic Blessing as the angel Gavriel announced the upcoming birth of a son of Aaron, the prophet who would come in the spirit and power of Eliyahu (Elijah) (Luke 1:8-17).  Zachariah gave his Aaronic Blessing in silence.

Let’s look now at this time line.  Pesach (Passover) falls on the 14th day of the first month, or the month of Aviv (corresponding to our [modern day] month of March or April).  This was Zachariah’s first service of the yearly cycle.  Next he served during the week of Shavuot (Pentecost) [and was given the honor to burn the incense in the Holy Place].  Then he served the following week after Shavuot before returning home to Elisheva.  It was during the time that he was burning the incense in the Holy Place that the angel Gavriel spoke to him and told him he and his wife would bear a child who would come “in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”  When he came out of the Temple, he could not speak.   Shavuot falls in the third month of the yearly cycle.  So when Zachariah went home to Elsiheva, it was in the third month of the yearly biblical cycle (the month of June according to our [modern day] calendar). (Luke 1:23-25)  Elisheva then conceived.

When was Yochanan (John) born?  Well, it takes nine months for a child to develop in the womb.  Right?  Counting nine months from the time of conception (4 B.C.E. or year 3997) we come to the first month of the new Aviv cycle (or 3 B.C.E. or year 3998).  [Let's count according to the months we are familiar with- July 3997 (month of conception), 4 B.C.E., August 3997 - 1st month, September 3997 - 2nd month, October 3997 - 3rd month, November 3997 - 4th month, December 3997 - 5th month, January 3998. 3 B.C.E., - 6th month,  February 3998, - 7th month, March 3998 - 8th month, April 3998 - 9th month]

[Note:  Prior to 46 BC (Before Common Era) the "Roman Calendar", or what had been reconstructed of it, is described as a "mess".  The Roman's calendar originally started the year with the "vernal equinox" and consisted of 10 months having a total of 304 days.  The 304 days were followed by an unnamed, unnumbered period in winter.  In the year 46 BC, the Greek Sosigenes convinced Julius Caesar to reform the calendar to a more manageable form.  The Julian calendar consisted of three 365-day years followed by a 366-day leap year.  Although a great improvement, the Julian calendar was still not quite in synchronization with the seasons.  The Roman abbot, Dionysius Exiguus, proposed that the years be numbered from the birth of Christ in about 524 (Boyer 1968, p. 272).  Bede, an English scholar who lived from 673-735, was the first to actually date the events from the birth of Christ.  This system gives rise to the familiar classification of dates as BC or AD (also sometimes denoted BCE and CE).  Interestingly enough, probably because the concept for zero was not widely used in Europe at the time, this method of dating omits the year zero, so that the year 1 BC is followed immediately by the year 1 AD.  In any case, whoever zeroed the calendar made an error, since the Bible says Jesus was alive in Herod's time, but "Roman records showed" that Herod died in what turns out to be 4 BCE.] (http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/Calendar.html) 

If the year of Herod the Great’s death (4 B.C.E.) is correct (which is highly unlikely due to the discrepancies in the Roman and Julian calendar systems) and according the the Gospel of Matthew (which is the only Gospel to record the narrative of Herod’s command to kill all the male children who were in Bethlehem from two years old and under), then Yeshua and Yochanan had to have been born prior to 4 B.C.E.  As we will see in a later chapter, to arrive at the correct time, we will have to look at Yeshua’s time of ministry and his death, as well as, to the time of the rebuilding of the Temple by Herod and its completion. 

Based on the Biblical calendar, the ninth month of Elisheva’s pregnancy would have been in the (month of Aviv) (April, 3998 or 3 B.C.E.), also corresponding to the first month of the new year.  He (John) conceivably would have been born around Passover (15th Aviv).

In our next segment, we will look at Mary, the mother of Yeshua to see when He would have been born based on her journey to see her cousin Elisheva.

The Creator’s calendar (the Biblical calendar), was given in the Garden of Eden.  Paraphrased, it simply stated that each day begins at sunset, each week begins at the sunset at the end of the Sabbath (the seventh day), each month begins with the sighting of the first sliver of the new moon, and the beginning of the year is determined at the new moon when the barley crop is Israel has reached the stage of maturity referred to as “aviv”.  No one need be confused about God’s times and seasons as long as we follow His method of determining days, weeks, months, years, Sabbath years, Jubilee years, and the millennia.  You see God never changed them because He never changes.  It is a simple calendar and even a child could figure it out.

All of the Feasts of the Lord were conducted according to this method and followed from Mt. Sinai through the First and Second Temple periods and was the exact schedule that the Jewish followers of Yeshua continued to keep after His reserrection.  So how did we get from there to our modern day system of calculating time as we know it today?

We first have to look back to the world of paganism.  All those who were not Hebrew peoples were considered pagan.  They devised their own system of everything from worship to preservation without God as their source.  YHVH commanded the Hebrew people to destroy all of these pagan gods and the people associated with them when He brought them into the promised land.  But, they did not listen and as a result took on the ways of the pagans.

Going ahead in time, we see that in the 4th century of the “Common Era” another calendar picture entered; this one being introduced by a group of exiled Pharisees.  The Sanhedrin was evicted from the Temple mount in the year 28 C.E. (around the time of Yeshua’s ministry) and finally exiled to Rome for the crime of “conspiring to pay witnesses to make a false report on their behalf.”  This incident is recorded in the Talmud and is cited by Matthew in his 1st century chronicle of the life and ministry of Yeshua.:

     “Some of the watch (Roman guard assigned to secure the tomb of Yeshua) came to the city and showed the chief priests all the things that were done.  And when they (the priests) were assembled with the elders (the Sanhedrin) and had taken counsel together (conspired to commit fraud), they gave large money (bribery) unto the soldiers, saying, say ye (bear false witness), “his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept” (admitting dereliction of guard duty punishable by death).  And if this (admission of sleeping on post) comes to the governor’s ears (to the attention of their commanding officer), we will persuade him ($$$), and secure you (admit our culpability).  So they (the soldiers) took the money, and did as they were instructed (by the crooked Sanhedrin): and this account is commonly reported among the Jews until this day (near the end of the first century).” [Matthew 28:11-15 as annotated by Michael Rood]

“In 359 C.E., just before disbanding themselves, the exiled Sanhedrin devised a new calendar system.  After the Temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed, the Pharisees had replaced the Temple service and the Creator’s appointed times with a “new and improved” religious system - a code of righteousness defined by thousands of man-made commandments and regulated by their new calendar.  As head of the 4th century Sanhedrin, Hillel II borrowed Babylonian mathematical calculations to determine the precise moment that the moon was in “conjunction” with the earth and sun.  This unobservable mathematical moment in time was used to determine the beginning of each month on the new Pharisee calendar.  The Pharisees invented additional “postponements” so that they could celebrate their adaptation of the Feasts at their own convenience.  They could now plan their religious activities months, years, and even centuries in advance.  They completely disregarded the only criterion stipulated by the Almighty for determining the first month of the year - the aviv barley in the land of Israel.  The commandment concerning the barley was unmistakably defined so that we would offer firstfruits of the barley harvest in a prophetically timely fashion and accurately count the omer to arrive at the first day after seven Sabbaths - on the 50th day - the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost).  But instead of following the Torah instructions concerning the barley harvest, the Pharisees arbitrarily added a 13th month seven times every nineteen years, and then altered the method of counting the omer in order to camouflage its Messianic significance and fulfillment by Yeshua (Jesus).

The Pharisees calculated their new calendar 2,000 years into the future and then admittedly hid the “Book of Genealogies” so that anyone outside their circle would have no way to calculate the correct elapsed time from creation.  They changed the “head of the year” (Rosh Hashanah) from the first day of the month of aviv to the first day of the seventh month (Tishri) and removed 241 1/2 years from the total elapsed time calendar.  (This is why their calendar of today reads Tishri 5769 [October 2008] and not Tishri 6008 according to the “Astronomically and Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar”).  Only a chosen few would know when the 7th Millennium would actually arrive to herald “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble.”  The last official act of Hillel II, the head of the exiled Pharisee Sanhedrin, was to accomplish the very thing about which the prophet Daniel warned: “He shall proclaim commandments opposing the Almighty and continually harass the saints of the most High, and calculate to change (appointed) times and (Torah) laws” [Daniel 7:25]  Now through the institution of the new Pharisee calendar, the appointed times of YHVH had been officially nullified and systematically replaced by the appointed times of men.” (Quoted from “Fallen Angels, Fallen Men, and The Creator’s Calendar” by Michael Rood).

Those who study the Bible to try and determine when certain events will occur will never get an accurate picture until they correctly calculate the Creator’s reckoning of time.  But we have a sure promise given to us in I Thessalonians 5:1-6.  “But concerning the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I (Shaul) should write you.  For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.  For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman.  And they shall not escape.  But you brethren are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.  You are all sons of the day.  We are not of the night nor of darkness.  Therefore, let us not sleep , as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” 

We are in a day and age when upheaval and calamities are escalating.  The world’s economy is suffering.  Why is this happening many ask.  Is this the end of the world?  What is going on?  We don’t feel safe any more.  Terrorists seem to have the upper hand.  Our wealth is slipping away.  Are we going to have another depression?  Who has the answer?

In order for us to understand these turbulent times, we must go back to the beginning.  Many do not believe there is a God who created all things according to the Bible.  Others believe, but so many opinions as to interpretation of His Word have caused division within the Body of believers.  So we go on with our own opinions, man-made traditions and outright disregard of others’ beliefs.  This is a sad reflection on our part as to our relationship with the Almighty.  I speak now to those who believe in YHVH, the One Who Is and Who Was and Who is to Come.  I know others who may read this will never finish it because they do not believe the same way.  That is their prerogative.  We all have choices to make.  God gave us that ability.  That is our freedom to be who we are.

In the beginning, YHVH gave us a time frame in which to follow so that we might know His appointed times (moedim).  This was to help us follow all of His carefully planned patterns for our personal enjoyment in fellowship with Him.  However, right at the beginning when Adam and Eve disobeyed His instructions, He knew that mankind would now suffer the consequences of their disobedient acts.  Death and turmoil have been the result ever since.

Today, the turmoil is escalating as I said at the beginning.  Reading His Word tells us that this would happen.  He said in His Word that these things must take place, but that we were not to worry, but to place all of our cares and burdens on Him.  He said that when you see these things begin to happen, look up for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21).  He also said that we would not know the day or the hours when our Messiah would return, but we would know the seasons and time (frame). 

But alas, we have disbanned the Creator’s Original Reckoning of Time and replaced it with our own man-made calendar system that is totally out of sinc with YHVH’s timing.  If you search out calendars on the internet, you will find that there are so many different ones out there with differnt dates that totally confuse our so called intelligence.  It is no wonder we are LOST IN TIME.  I challenge you to search it out.  See if you can make any sense of it.

In order for us to figure out what and when YHVH has for us, we must go back to His time frame.  When Moses led the Hebrew nation out of bondage from Egypt, he was given a “calendar system” that was to be used (and had been in existence since creation) for all generations.  It was to be written down and is now called the Torah.  In this time frame, we do not find any reference to the naming of days, months and years.  He said that the beginning of the year (the head of the year - Rosh Hashana) was to be determined by an agricultural event, followed by the sighting of a new moon.

What was that agricultural event?  The biblical year begins on the first new moon after the barley in the land of Israel reaches the stage in its development that the Bible calls Aviv.  Only by checking the state of the barley crop can we fulfill the Biblical commandment to “Keep the Month of the Aviv” (Deut. 16:1).  Only by fixing the calendar in harmony with the barley crop can we fulfill the commandment to celebrate the Hag Ha-Matzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread) “at the time of the month of the Aviv, because in the month of the Aviv you went out of Egypt.” (Exodus 34:18)  Therefore, any calendar year cannot be determined until the barley crop is aviv.  What is aviv?  According to Leviticus 2:14, “If you offer a grain offering of your firstfruits (from the spring crops of barley), you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits green heads of grain roasted on the fire, grain beaten from full heads.”  This was a certain stage of ripeness just before full ripeness.  If it had gone past the full ripeness stage, it would not be considered aviv.  So YHVH told Moses what he was to look for in order to determine the Firstfruits.

Based on that, the next step was to declare the beginning of the month (which is called Nissan on the Rabbinical Calendar that the Jewish people use today) by the sighting of the first sliver of the new moon.  When this new moon was sited over Jerusalem, then the new month would commence.  Another full cycle would begin when the next season of the barley was determined as aviv.  This would be a time frame in our modern day of 12 or 13 months based on the number of new moon sitings during this cycle which determined the beginning of a month. 

So what we have today is a pre-calculated calendar system that allows us to determine future events such as holy days, school days, (pagan) holidays, etc. and has nothing to do with God’s original creation of time.  It is no wonder we are LOST IN TIME.  We have so many “prophecy” specialists out there concerning the “end-of-days” prophecies.  They all point to the Word of God as their source, but they have not truly determined the correct time according to the Word.  That’s why we have all kinds of dates thrown at us and all kinds of predictions as to when these future events are supposed to take place.

My friends, in these perilous times, I urge you to get back to the truth of God’s Word.  Study your Bible, pray to God and stop relying on man to give you the answers.  Yeshua (Jesus) said that when He left this earth, He would send us the Ruach Hachodesh (Holy Spirit) who would lead us and guide us into all truth.  Let’s stop leaning on our own ability and lean on Him.